


Gravity (keep me where the light is)

by mob_lake



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ben wants to be like Padme, M/M, Senator Ben Solo, consensual underage shenanigans, lots of romatic comedy awkwardness, no makeup tho, with some serious plot points thrown in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 18:29:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6819268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mob_lake/pseuds/mob_lake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Senator Ben Organa-Solo has not seen Poe Dameron in over 10 years.  Not since Ben had left to pursue his career in the Senate without a word.  So being asked to personally oversee a ceremony honoring the pilot definitely won't be awkward...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gravity (keep me where the light is)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angryangryowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryangryowl/gifts).



> So this is a gift for Ducky (angryangryowl) who may not even remember because it's been so long ;)  
> She wanted Senator Ben having to see Poe again after a long period of time and I think also the part about Ben having to give him an honor or award. And then it turned into this!

"Senator Solo?"

"Sir?"

"Ben!"

Ben startled and looked up from his datapad where he had been staring at the same two paragraph memorandum since it had so innocently appeared with a soft _ping_ almost 20 minutes ago.

"I apologize Sir, I've been calling your name," the girl shifted nervously. One of the new interns, Hanna? Hona?

"No apology needed," he put the datapad down on the desk and slid it as far away from him as possible. As if putting distance between him and it would somehow magically change the words on the screen. He attempted to smile at her, but had a feeling he was failing miserably, "My mind was somewhere else. Please continue."

"Yes, uh, Senator Nadin sent me to ask if you have had a chance to look over the proposal for the Restoration Day parade," she paused, clearly something was showing on Ben's face, "and uh, if you would be available to meet over lunch tomorrow to discuss the details?"

Ben swallowed down a quick flash of nausea. He was the son of General Leia Organa, the grandson of Senator Padme Amidala, and the current youngest member of the Galactic Senate. He did not lose his shit in front of _interns._

"Please let Senator Nadin know that I look forward to it."

“Great! I mean, yes, sir, I'll let her know," the girl toyed with her overly large earring, she seemed to be considering something, "It's exciting though isn't it? This will be my first time on planet for Restoration Day! I hear it's quite something. Did you hear Poe Dameron will be in attendance? I'll be honest, I had his poster on my bedroom wall back home. I wonder if we'll get to meet him." 

"I'm sure _Captain_ Dameron will be quite busy," Ben said through gritted teeth, "Now, was there anything else?"

She seemed to realize she had crossed over some line and her face went slightly white, "No sir, sorry, I'll just be-" The intern didn't even bother to finish the sentence as she fled back out the door, her long, indigo braid flying behind her.

Ben waited until he heard the door hiss shut before dropping his head down into his folded arms. He kept his eyes closed while he took several deep breaths and tried to remember whatever nonsense his Uncle Luke used to spout about the benefits of meditation. After several long moments he sat back in his chair and used the tip of his index finger to slide the datepad back in front of him. Much to his dismay it looked exactly as it had before the girl had interrupted him.

 

_Senator Organa-Solo,_

_We are pleased and excited to inform you that you have been selected to represent the Galactic Senate of the New Republic during this year's Restoration Day celebration. As you may already be aware, this year's celebration will include a special ceremony honoring one of our best and brightest, Captain Poe Dameron. We on the committee felt that the close relationship between your two families not only during the Rebellion against the Empire, but also throughout the rebuilding of our new democracy, would emphasize just how far we have come since those dark times._

_During the ceremony Captain Dameron will be not only honored for his numerous achievements in keeping peace across our galaxy, but will be presented his new official title as Commander of the X-Wing unit of Starfighter Command. Congratulations again on being selected for this prestigious position!_

_Senator Ramina Nadin_  
_Committee Chairman_

 

Ben groaned and wondered if was still too late to become a Sith Lord instead.

-

Ben had known from a very young age that he wanted to be a part of the Galactic Senate. He had devoured texts of the Old Republic and was especially inspired by stories of his Grandmother's love of her people and of her deeply held ideals of freedom and democracy. 

"I wish I could have met her," he had said to his mother one afternoon, who had hugged him close and whispered, "Me too."

Being Force-Sensitive had interested him in about the same way the learning to pilot a ship had. Certainly a useful skill, but nothing much beyond that. He let his Uncle Luke train him to quiet others' thoughts in his mind, to meditate in order to keep dark feelings like rage and anger in check, and to accept and interpret the visions and feelings that came through the Force. He let his Father take him up in the Millennium Falcon and even felt a sense of pride a few times at his Father's face when he was able to bank sharply through a narrow canyon or time the jump to hyperspace to the second the ship broke the planet's atmosphere. 

Poe Dameron though, had been born to fly. Ben knew it before he ever saw Poe get into a cockpit. He knew from the minute Poe came strutting in with the new recruits assigned to his Mother's fleet, he could feel it even with his limited Force training. Poe also turned out to be handsome, charming, funny, kind, smart, humble and such an incredible pilot that even his Han Solo had to admit he may have met his match. Overall Ben had found it to be maddenly unfair that one person could be that perfect, even as he tried and failed not to picture said perfect lips and hair and smile as he jerked off in the shower.

The most surprising and bewildering part of all is the Poe actually seemed to LIKE Ben. Would find Ben reading over a document on new tax reform and plop down next to him. Sometimes he would ask him questions, sometimes he would merely sit with his back against the wall in companionable silence. Ben found himself lingering around the hanger when the pilots returned and maybe, possibly holding his breath until he saw Poe's face and sometimes Poe would even catch his eyes and wink at him. 

Ben thought maybe he was in love with Poe. He tried to imagine how his grandmother must have felt about his grandfather, but comparing Anakin Skywalker to Poe Dameron just seemed wrong. He certainly didn't have much time to consider it when Poe grabbed his hand one evening, tugged him into a dark alcove and kissed him. No one had ever kissed him.

"Is this alright?" Poe had breathed in his ear. 

It was more than alright, it was incredible, it was the kind of thing that only happened in old books and holovids. They ended up in Poe's room, Ben underneath him on the bed being kissed breathless over and over. Poe had managed to strip them of most of their clothes and had taken them both together in his hand as he rolled his hips and made Ben see stars. 

After, he had settled behind Ben on the bed, wrapped a tanned arm around him and said, "stay."

Poe was already up when Ben opened his eyes in the morning, he was sitting on the end of the bed in a white t-shirt and his orange flight suit hanging half off his body. He smiled when he noticed Ben was awake.

"Hey, I've got to be in the air in 30 minutes," he leaned down and gave Ben a quick kiss, "I'll see you later yeah?"

"Yeah."

Ben lay in the bed, he had that feeling. That feeling he only ever got from reading transcripts of Senate border disputes during the Old Republic. At the same time he also felt a sense of dread creep in. He was meant to be leaving soon, was one of the only beings in the galaxy to be directly admitted into the Senate Internship program before they had even officially finished schooling. Less than 24 hours ago he'd been certain it was the only thing he ever really wanted. Or rather, wanted and could actually have. Now the thought of leaving caused a small knot start to form in the pit of his stomach. 

He had left Poe's room quickly, needed to get away, to think. He wished now that he had someone to confide in. He thought briefly of talking to his mother, but the idea of having to tell her what had happened the night before was enough to shoot that plan on sight. He'd just have to talk to Poe, as stomach dropping as that sounded. He spent the rest of the day studying, actively trying NOT to think about how Poe's lips had felt on his, his bare skin, the noises he'd made.

Ben waited until well after he knew that the squadron had returned before he made his way down to the hanger. He steadfastly ignored the fact that his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest.

It didn't take him long to find Poe among the sea of orange flight suits. His laugh cut through the usual noise of the hanger, his thick, black hair tousled from his helmet. He was standing with Jessika Palva, who was smiling back at Poe like he was a second sun. She threw her arms around his neck and Poe lifted her by her tiny waist and spun her around before planting a kiss on her cheek. Ben didn't wait to see anymore, left quickly before Poe spotted him. He stalked back towards his own rooms. He felt so completely foolish that he had thought... what HAD he thought? That Poe Dameron wanted to _date_ him? The man could have anyone he wanted, and probably did. Who was Ben, but an awkward, odd-looking bookworm who's idea of fun involved studying the political structures of the Outer Rim.

This was better, he told himself. He was so close to leaving, to finally starting down the path he knew he was meant to be on. Ben had left without a word to Poe a few days later. He hugged his mother and kissed her cheek, let his father put an awkward arm around him and Chewy squeeze his ribs so hard he was sure they bruised. Nothing else mattered, and really, he almost believed it.

 

-

So, here Ben was, over ten years later. He had worked hard to leave that shy, quiet kid behind. He still thought himself odd-looking, but he had grown into his features some, shot up in height and filled out. He hadn't wanted for males and females eager to fill his bed, but still he had been careful. He was an Organa and a Skywalker, not to mention how many beings his father had probably pissed off over the past fifty odd years. When it came to love, his misguided crush was still the closest he had come. 

Poe Dameron had become the literal poster boy for the military face of the New Republic. His picture was in magazines, on the holoscreens, rumors of hearts being broken and strewn across the galaxy by the enigmatic pilot graced gossip rags. Ben prided himself on avoiding it as much as possible, but now he was sitting in his office being forced to read through an extremely detailed report on Poe’s (admittedly impressive) career complete with professional photographs of him posed next to his X-Wing, helmet tucked under his arm, hair windswept, looking more striking and real than he did in Ben’s fading memories. 

More than once he had thought about going to Senator Nadin with some wild excuse and telling her to find someone else. But that would be quitting, and Senator Ben Organa-Solo did not quit. So what if the ceremony was tomorrow, and after three weeks of trying and failing to write a compelling speech all he had was a blank document in his datapad with the words ‘Restoration Day’ blinking ominously at the top. The rest of the planet seemed to already be celebrating. Out his window he could see the streets decorated in brightly colored banners, music could be heard over the normal sounds of speeder traffic and Ben was pretty sure all the interns were already drunk. He was tempted to ask if they had any to spare. He certainly didn’t startle in his chair when his office door beeped then hissed open. 

“Senator,” it was the intern from before, Hennie, he’d found out her name was, “So sorry, you uh, wanted me to remind you about the dinner tonight.” 

If Ben didn’t know any better she would have seemed totally sober, but the subtle flush on her cheeks and the change in her speech pattern gave it away. But right now he had much bigger Hutts to blast than drunk interns. Not only had he no idea what he was going to say in his address tomorrow, he now had to attend a formal dinner with every wealthy and vapid backside-kisser on the planet. 

“Thank you Hennie,” he thought saw her blush go slightly deeper, “feel free to take off for the night. And you can tell the rest of that bin of sin to do the same.”

 

-

 

Ben felt his best fake smile being sealed permanently on his face as he made his way through the crowd, greeting politicians, dignitaries, business owners and various other leechers and hangers-on. He could feel the low thrum of the Force under his skin, snapping with indignation. He normally ignored the hum of energy, but when he was irritated or angry it seemed to have a mind of it’s own. He honestly had almost felt the relief in the room when he had announced at 8-years old that he wanted to become a Senator like his Grandmother. They probably felt that politics was certainly a much safer option to the more obvious, more evil family role models. 

He smoothed down the front of his deep blue, formal robes. He had spent maybe a little more time than he normally would styling his hair into a neat knot at the back of his head. His eyes continued to glance around the room nervously, while pretending not to know the reason why. 

“Ben!” 

A broad hand clasped his shoulder, and he turned to see bright, blue eyes, and curly blonde hair. Ben felt his heart rate slow back down. 

“Oh, hello Jak. Pleasure to see you.”

Jak Riddon was the son Danon Riddon, who owned and operated the largest freighter company in the galaxy. Jak and Ben had a brief fling a few cycles back. Jak had been fun and surprisingly thoughtful for someone who had grown up obscenely wealthy. He had even been kind when Ben did what he usually did, and broke it off before things could get serious. 

“You too Ben, or should I call you Senator tonight?” he smiled and winked. 

“Ben is fine.”

Hells, now he was blushing. He had always worked hard to hide his youth in this world, but something about Jak made him feel his actual 26 years. 

“Well, you look very dashing this evening.”

“I would have to agree,” a new voice, familiar, heart-stopping. Ben almost couldn’t bring himself to look. 

“Captain Dameron, it’s an honor!” Jak’s voice sounded awed. He stared a little open-mouthed as Poe came to stand next to him.

“Please, call me Poe. Sorry if I’m interrupting?” Ben looked and saw Poe staring directly up at him. He looked even more incredible in person, dressed in white and black Starfighter Corp dress uniform, face clean shaven and hair perfectly tousled. 

“No sir, not at all, Jak Riddon,” Jak shook Poe’s hand with his usual supernova smile and then grabbed drinks off a serving tray as it passed by, “we should have a toast! You are the guest of honor, am I correct?”

Poe laughed and Ben felt his stomach drop somewhere into his boots. 

“So they tell me.” 

Ben could feel Poe’s gaze like a beam of sunshine and took the offered glass without thinking. If Ben was blushing before, now his face was on fire. If he had to continue to watch Jak flirting with Poe he may just use the Force and cave the roof in on all of them. 

“I believe we should really be toasting the Senator,” Poe touched his shoulder, “Ben was the one who negotiated the treaty that gave us the system we needed to truly maintain peace.”

Ben was speechless a moment, that Poe would know that he had been the one that had worked tirelessly to bring the formerly Empire loyal system to the New Republic was surprising. It certainly wasn’t common knowledge.

“I was merely the mediator,” he said finally, “but I am pleased to hear it was a positive impact for the Republic.”

“Ben can never take a compliment,” Jak playfully clinked his glass against Ben’s, “and you never told me you knew Poe Dameron!”

“General Organa gave me my start,” Poe grinned at Ben, “she said to tell you you should call every now and then.”

“Yes, well, her idea of ‘now and then’ is a little different than mine,” Ben finished his drink and grabbed another. He hadn’t seen Poe in ten years and now he was making small talk about his mother with him and his ex-fling, who was looking at Poe like he had defeated the Emperor himself. There was absolutely no way this would get worse…

“JAK!” A shrill voice cut across the room.

“Oh blast,” Jak rolled his eyes, “So sorry, you’ll have to excuse me.”

Then Jak was gone and Ben found himself standing completely alone with Captain Poe Dameron.


End file.
